The beginning adventure to my 30s...

You know those times when you have this brilliant idea spark in your head at the most random time? Well I had one the other day and I absolutely loved it. The other night while I was at a wine bar with my parents and their friends, I had briefly mentioned how terrifying and awful it was that I was turning 30 next March. My Dad's friend had a good point and one that seemed to stick to the inside of my brain. He said to me "Ashley, you can't look at it that way. Instead of being sad and depressed you turn 30 next year, why not make the last year of your twenties count? Do something crazy or adventurous". I thought to myself, you know, that's not a bad idea! I like it! So I'm running with it.

My plan is to ultimately do one exciting and memorable thing each month until I turn 30 next March (2014). I'm not talking anything that will land me in jail or get me killed, this has to be something level-headed and inspiring, even if it is just for myself. So far, I think I'm off to a pretty good start...

Matisyahu - Accoustic Session at the Texas Music Theater

 

 

For those of you who are not familiar with this man's music, I highly suggest you check him out. He's a modern day Bob Marley in my eyes. This came at a perfect time when I really needed to hear something inspiring. You know, the type of music that gets into your soul and makes you want to cry and hug the world at the same time.

 

My best friend had asked me about a month ago if I wanted to go. At first I was hesitant because I hadn't listened to his music in forever but I thought you know...his music has always been spiritual and uplifting so I figured this was the perfect time to go. In addition to my best friend going through some pretty heavy stuff in her own life, I've really been battling those low days here lately so I'm extremely glad I went.

 

It was a great night and one that I'll most definitely never forget. We all stopped at a pizza parlor for a bite to eat before the show. One of the guys who had already planned on going before us was having his birthday, so it was the perfect ending to a great day.

 

I can't even begin to tell you the feeling and emotion that came over my body while listening to his songs. His encore song was a mash-up of "No Woman, No Cry" and a song of his very own and it took every bit of me not to tear up. It was an overwhelming sense of joy and an "I'll be just fine with everything going on in my life right now" type of feeling. This is the very reason why I cling to music so much. I want to hold it tightly and never let go.

 

During one of his performances, I managed to record about a minute worth of his song "One Day" which is just absolutely breath-taking and inspiring. Feel free to check it out here.

There are times in our life when we hit those speedbumps in the road, those type that just knock the breath right out of us. As hard as it is sometimes, you've just gotta pick yourself up off the pavement and keep walking. You do whatever it takes to get you to that point: blog, listen to inspiring music, experience things that you'll never forget and always remember or just take a quiet moment to do some reflection. One thing to remember is that in the end, everything always works out for the best. We have one life to live, so make it a beautiful one.

 

Much love,

Ashley



"We're all mad here"

Before I go any further, I think I may have forgotten to mention that I have a SLIGHT obsession with "Alice in Wonderland". As you can already see, I feel like I can relate to this character in a sense. A girl that is constantly daydreaming, gets bored with the every day monotony of life and way way too curious about things. Anywho, enough of my rambling!

I really couldn't have picked a better title for this entry because I really did feel "mad as a hatter" this weekend and a little bit into today. Typically Mondays are not as bad for me as they are for everyone else and it really wasn't that bad, but I did want to strangle the people at the car dealership.

I'd like to think of myself as a very optimistic person, but today I was just not feeling it. I think it started on Saturday when I dropped my car off to have it looked at. I was worried that it was leaking oil and my brakes were definitely squeeking. Around 2:30 in the afternoon I had dropped it off to have it looked at, much to my dismay they closed at 4pm. Did anyone bother to tell me that? No, because otherwise I would have just waited until this week to have it done. Dumbasses. And you know something? We really do take things for granted because I did miss not having my car this weekend. I absolutely HATE having to rely on other people but I truly do appreciate my parents helping me out yet again. I don't know what I would do without them.

So aside from that it has been a pretty busy day here at work. Let me tell you though, positive thinking does wonders! I got a call from the Service Manager where I dropped my car off and he said there was absolutely no spot of oil that indicated a leak, nor was there anything major that was going on with the brakes. *PHEW* Needless to say I was super happy to hear all of that news and that I'd be getting my car back.

All in all it was a great day though. I was thankful to have my Dad pick me up and drop me off at work this morning and I got to have lunch with my Mom. In addition to that, I got the pleasure of being visited by a red-tailed hawk yet again (I'd like to think this holds some deep meaning like the sign of it being a great year).

Moral of the story people: Trying to think positively during any situation definitely helps! I'm not saying it cures everything but putting those positive vibes out there can't hurt anyone, especially yourself.

Side note: Most of my blog entries won't be this boring, but it was a good day and I figured I would share it with you all. I hope you all had a great Monday. Here's to an outstanding week ahead!

 

Much love,

Ashley

Down, Down the Rabbit Hole...

To start off with, I'll give you a little bit of an insight into my life. I'm nothing special and thankfully I lead a somewhat drama-free life. However, for the past 10 years of my dating life, it's been anything but drama-free. Is this unusual? Probably not, but even at 28 years old and single I might add, I'm still trying to figure all of it out.

Before I dive deep into the rabbit hole of my life though, let me tell you a little bit about me. My name is Ashley and I'm 28 years old (currently, as I begin my blog). I'm an only child to two very loving parents that brought me up the best way a little girl should be brought up - with love, encouragement, humor and stability. I couldn't have asked for a better family if I must say so. As for friends, I'm happy to say that it's just as amazing. Most of these special people in my life I've known since high school. But if not as long, I've shared experiences with them that have probably tied them to me for life (or so I hope).

As for work, I'm the Social Media Manager for a credit union. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine myself being in this kind of position. I landed a job that I absolutely love and learn from each day and I couldn't ask for anything better. Well, I can only imagine what the future holds for me because I'm always up for new ventures. Once out of high school, I took a break and just worked until I got tired of not being in college like the rest of my friends. I applied to the Art Institute of Dallas, got accepted and attended for 1 quarter until I decided it was just not for me. The original plan of going for computer animation was shot down by my counselor shortly after I had started and I was told that graphic design would be a better fit for me. To my amazement, it was something that I was still passionate about and I learned to love it. After quitting AID, I moved back to Austin where I attended a community college and paid for all of my tuition and books out of pocket. Let me tell you, it was refreshing to not add anymore debt into the student loans that I had already incurred.

So with all of that said, the in-between stuff consists of my dating life which is not so great and as pretty of a picture. But honestly, who's is right? I'm just one of those people who took a little longer to learn from my mistakes. I'm 28 and finally feel like I have a grasp on things: what I want, what I don't want and what I will and will not tolerate from a guy. After 10 years of being in the dating world, I'm finally glad to be here!

Here I am though, starting yet another blog that I really hope to continue and stay up to date with. Join me on my journey to self-discovery. I'm sure this will be filled with nonsense, personal stories and other random tidbits about me. If anything, this will be something that I can keep for myself and look back on later in life. Something I can laugh about, cry over or just get entertainment from.

Last but not least, thank you for stopping by. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I'll love writing it!

Much love,

Ashley